Belle-Anse
"Fòk de klòch sonnen pou konn verite-a." must hear two bells ring to learn the truth. -Haitian proverb Belle-Anse (Kreyòl: Bèlans; English: "Beautiful Cove") is a coastal city in the Southeast Department of Haiti. It is located on the Caribbean Sea, 82 km south of the capital, approximately halfway between Jacmel and the Anse-à-Pitres border crossing with D.R. With a population of 69,000 as determined by the 2015 Census, it is the third-most populous city in the Southeast department after Jacmel and Bainet. Belle-Anse is the principal municipality of the Belle-Anse Arrondissement, which had a total population of 158,081 in 2015. , Haiti]] ]] An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Belle-Anse consists of an urban core in the middle of its coast and the outlying neighborhoods of Mapou, Bel-Air, Mabriole, and Orange Bay. Its fishing heritage is reflected in it's quaint seaside landscape. Belle-Anse is a green city. In spite of the demand of road infrastructures, the city offers an attractive image, thanks to its greenery and its natural richnesses. History Before Europeans arrived, the area was the home of the Taino tribe of the Arawak peoples, who lived in villages around the harbor and subsisted off local fisheries and the farming of agriculture. The community was originally called Saltrou Grande Pointe by the people who first lived there. It was raised to the rank of commune in 1960. Geography Belle-Anse is located at 18.2383019, -72.0661883. According to the IHSI, the city has a total area of 381.27 square kilometers (147.21 Square miles). It's primary settlement, Ville de Belle-Anse, occupies an area of 0.93 km² (0.35 mi²) with a density of 4,847 inhabitants per km² (12,880 per sq. mi.) Belle-Anse occupies most of the central third of the Southeast Department's coastline. The city is split in half by the Rivière Guimby, which flows southward through the middle of the city into the Caribbean Sea, forming much of the boundary between the 4th (Corail-Lamothe) and 5th (Bel-Air) sections. Belle-Anse rests between the sea and the mountains. In the northwest corner of town lies Parc La Visité, a large forested area on the Chaîne de la Selle Mountain range. The eastern side of the commune consists of a plateau and foothills. The land in the north and west of the town ascends toward the mountains. There are several peaks in the city, the highest of which are Tête Donasse (1510m, 4,950 ft) and Morne Bois-Pin (Mount Pinewood, 2,262m, 7,421 ft). Belle-Anse lies between Kenscoff, Croix-des-Bouquets, and Fonds-Verrettes to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. The city is bordered on the east by Grand-Gosier, and on the west by Marigot. (The town line with the northern communes is located across mountain peaks and as such there is limited land connection between the towns.) Belle-Anse lies about 72 km (45 miles) east of Jacmel and 68 km (42 miles) west of the border with D.R. The commune has about 191 localities and 102 habitations. Its inhabitants are called Belle-Ansois. The climate is fresh. Demographics Neighborhoods Orange Bay, the first communal section of Belle-Anse, is a zone delivered to itself, devoid of almost all basic infrastructure. Ville de Belle Anse Route 402 enters Belle-Anse high in the mountains at Seguin just east of the Route 108 terminus, at a height of over 1400 meters (4,000 feet) in elevation. Here, the route passes the La Visité National Park, skirting it's southern edge, just before the descent further into the Belle-Anse commune. The "road" passes through the Mabriole section before arriving at the coastal city area of "Ville de Belle Anse", population 4,508. The town square is rustic, with touches that felt modern compared to the several miles that precede it: paved streets, electricity, stores, restaurants, office buildings with working toilets and running water, a radio station and a medical clinic with an adjacent cholera-treatment facility. The men and women there are young, educated, business-minded and energetic. Within a few hundred feet, though, the road disappears and travelers step back in time. Housing then becomes a combination of wood, cinder block, concrete and tin. All of it is vulnerable during the rainy season as water sweeps from the surrounding mountains to the shore. With the cliffs, fishing boats, a beach, a lagoon, even a cliché scene of fishermen weaving nets under a cluster of palm trees, some would compare modern-day Belle-Anse to Hawaii of the 1930s. Economy In economic and financial terms, Belle-Anse, like many other municipalities in the Sud'Est department, faces a lack of huge infrastructure. It is advisable to point out the non-existence, at the level of this commune, of the following economic and financial establishments: gas station, private morgue, photocopy service, hairdressing salon, photography, dry cleaning, bank, and credit union. However, there are three pharmacies, one of which is located in the central city of Belle-Anse and the other two are in the communal sections. In the field of small industry and crafts, the boating industry has significant potential in Belle-Anse. Infrastructure Among the municipalities of the South-east Department, Belle-Anse ranks low as to the level of education (first and second cycle of basic school), accessibility to basic health care, water and in the availability of sanitation services. The increase in its population (arrival of populations as a result of the earthquake) has more accentuated this great lack. Transportation Route Departmentale 402 passes through the town from west to east. The roads that lead from the city to the communal sections are dirt. Those that connect the communal sections to each other are in poor condition. Education In the field of education, the Ministry of National Education of Youth and Sports has no representation at the level of the municipality of Belle-Anse. However, three kindergarten schools, several elementary schools and one high school were counted. Calixte Numa Rabel Public High School opened its doors on January 13, 1992. Since the earthquake, the number of high school increased from 590 to 729 students with the same material and human means. They are 100 students by class of less than 50 m² (538 ft²). The State supports the salaries of teachers. After obtaining the baccalauréat, high school students need to go to the city of Jacmel or Port-au-Prince to continue their schooling. Many drop out because of the very high registration fees in schools. This municipality is devoid of schooling at professional and university levels. In 2012, the school had made a request to the Haitian Government and particularly the Ministry of education in order to build a library. This local involvement and partnership enabled the gift of 700 textbooks on the part of the Ministry of the Haitian education, complementing yet more books at the school library. Health In terms of health, the municipality of Belle-Anse does not have representation from the Ministry of Public Health. Two public dispensaries are inventoried. The medical staff consists of a doctor, one registered nurse, two auxiliaries and one laboratory technician for about 31,958 inhabitants in 1998. Utilities The town of Belle-Anse is equipped with a river, a spring, public fountains (with seven taps) and four wells. The river and wells are allocated for domestic use, the source is collected and distributed, the taps are used to water animals and water plants. Only the city of Belle-Anse is electrified for 28 hours a week by an electric motor. Culture Religion Regarding religion, thirty three temples of all beliefs (except vodun) are inventoried in the commune of Belle-Anse. Catholic temples (churches and chapels) are predominant with 27% of the total. Then come the Pentecostal temples (21%) and Eben-ezer (21%). Communication In the field of communication, a project to implement a telephone service is underway. There is no formal postal service in the municipality, the distribution of mail is made by knowledge. In the field of radio broadcasting, the city of Belle-Anse is equipped with a community radio station that covers the entire municipality. The written and televised press is nonexistent. Leisure Leisure activities in Belle-Anse are in high demand. It lacks a library, museum, theater, and cinema. Football (soccer) is the only sport practiced. There are eight gaguères, a public square and a cave (natural site). Points of Interest Belle-Anse's most noted landmark is the Cascade Pichon Waterfall. According to one visitor, "It’s hard to know exactly how many waterfalls there are on the side of the mountain. From my vantage point on a nearby slope, I counted at least a dozen, and that was at the end of the dry season. The rainy season in the spring, I’d been told, puts the cascade in Cascade Pichon." . References Locality of Belle-Anse - http://mediathequebelleanse.blogspot.com/ In Haiti, Beauty that plays hard to get to -https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/travel/in-haiti-beauty-that-plays-hard-to-get-to.html Michael Vedrine Category:Belle-Anse Arrondissement Category:Haiti Category:Communes with 5 neighbors Category:Sud-Est, Haiti Category:Craft production Category:Boat production Category:Corn production Category:Bean production Category:Banana production Category:Plaintain production Category:Yam production Category:Coffee production Category:Sweet cassava production Category:Tourism Category:Resort Town